Old iPhones, especially if you own anything before the 6 series, can be used to do many productive things. Here are our eight ideas to re-purpose the old device.

If you have an old iPhone lying around, then we think that it could be put to better use rather than exchanging it for a nominal amount or altogether letting it rot in one corner.

Here are eight ideas that will surprise you how the old beasts can be put to good use:

1)The name of the game is ‘Backup’

If you own an iPhone, then lets face it that you will be in dire consequences if the phone is stolen or breaks down. Hence, keeping that old iPhone as backup could be a good idea. Let us face it, switching from iOS to Android and back is a nightmare and often results in loss of data in terms of contacts, WhatsApp chats among other things.

2) Add it to a multi-camera video shoot

The old iPhone can be made part of a multi-camera shoot. Models dating back to the iPhone 4S could capture 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution video at 30 frames per second.) Clear out as much storage as possible to make room for new footage and you’re good to go.

3) Use it as a baby monitor

Speaking of video, an iPhone with nothing else to do can easily pull baby-monitor duty, and in fact can rival or even exceed standalone products costing a pretty penny. All you need to do is pay for an app that can play lullabies and white noise (or even your own playlist) to help baby get back to sleep. Most apps come with a night-light option (with brightness control!), two-way audio and more.

4) Use it as a video monitor for doorbells

Don’t have a baby? Ever considered putting your iPhone on door duty instead? No, the phone itself doesn’t go outside; you’ll need to install either an outdoor Wi-Fi webcam or a smart doorbell. Then your phone can serve as a full-time video monitor, one that lives on, say, a coffee table or nightstand.

5) Give it the GoPro treatment

One last video option: Turn your old iPhone into a GoPro. Again, that’s a solid camera in there, so all you need is a way to mount it for action-video duty. Velocity Clip, for example, offers iPhone mounts for your bike, chest and head, all of them priced in the $40-50 range. Granted, an iPhone is a little unwieldy when strapped to your head, but it’s still way cheaper than buying a separate GoPro.

6) Create a poor-man’s Amazon Echo or a connected experience

If you’ve ever used an Amazon Echo, you know the joy of being able to say things like, “Alexa, play some Steely Dan on Spotify.” Many people forget that iPhones have an “Alexa” as well in the form of Siri. (And in some ways, an actual iOS-based Alexa.) Thus, you can turn your old iPhone into an Echo of sorts; just leaved it plugged in someplace within earshot, then say, “Hey, Siri” to invoke a command.

To get a better experience, keep that phone connected to a Bluetooth speaker. If you’re an Apple Music user, Siri can serve up songs, playlists and the like (podcasts too, provided you have Apple’s Podcasts app).

7) Create a dedicated VR headset

For the moment, Apple seems content to let Google (and, to a lesser extent, Samsung) steal the smartphone-powered VR spotlight. But you may be surprised to learn that an iPhone can serve up some terrific virtual experiences. All you need is a headset and some apps.

8) Leave it on your nightstand

An old iPhone might just be the best thing to hit your nightstand since the lamp. Because in that one spot it can serve countless purposes:

Bedside clock: Disappearing Bedside Clock is an interesting choice, as the display disappears after a selected interval, but reappears when you tap the screen or wave your hand in front of it.

Alarm clock: Check out iOS 10’s new alarm feature, but don’t overlook third-party apps like SpeakToSnooze, which features some cool voice-control options.

Clock radio: TuneIn Radio is a good choice, as it has both alarm and sleep-timer features.

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